1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to electrical connectors with a cover and, particularly, to an electrical connector that is to be mounted on a circuit board and has a cover member for covering the connection section of a terminal for protection from dust and dirt when it is connected to a circuit trace of the circuit board.
2. Description of the Related Art
FIG. 10(A) shows a conventional connector body 50 and FIG. 10(B) shows a conventional cover member 60.
The connector body 50 includes a housing 52 for supporting a terminal 51 formed by stamping a metal sheet. A plurality of terminals 51 are arranged at predetermined intervals in the third direction perpendicular to the paper sheet. The housing 52 has an upper left opening and a slit extending along the paper sheet in the right side half thereof for supporting the terminal 51. The terminal 51 includes an upper support arm 53, a lower resilient contact arm 54, and a connection leg 55 that projects from the lower right corner of the housing 52. The upper support arm 53 has a circular bearing section 53A and the contact arm 54 has an upwardly extending contact projection 54A. The connection leg 55 is positioned so as to come to contact with a circuit trace (not shown) of the circuit board P when the housing 52 is placed on the circuit board P.
A pressure member 56 is provided in the upper left opening of the housing 52. It has a shaft portion 56A that is rotatably supported by the bearing portion 53A of the terminal 51. It is rotatable clockwise from the closed position as shown to the upright open position where it defines a space to insert a flat type cable (not shown) over the contact section 54A of the terminal 51. It has a pressure section 56B to press the flat type cable against the contact section 54A at its closed position.
The cover member 60 is made so as to fit over the connector body 50. It has a cutout area 61A in an upper wall 61 thereof so as to allow the pressure member 56 to be rotatable to the closed position. Also, it has a groove 63 so that a right side wall 62 becomes flexible. The right side wall 62 has an outwardly curved lower lip portion 62A.
After the connector body 50 is placed on the circuit board P, the connection section 55 of the terminal 51 is soldered to the corresponding circuit trace. The pressure member 56 is brought into the open position and a flat type cable is inserted. Then, the pressure member 56 is rotated to the closed position so that the pressure section 56B presses the flat type cable against the contact section 54A of the terminal 51. Then, the cover member 60 is fitted over the connector body 50 so that the lip portion 62A comes to resilient contact with the circuit board to prevent the formation of a gap through which dust and dirt can enter, thus protecting the connection leg 55 from dust and dirt.
In the cover equipped electrical connector in FIGS. 10(A) and (B), however, the connector body and the cover member are provided separately, that is, the cover member is attached to the connector body after the connector is connected to the circuit board so that it is necessary to provide a separate cover member and a process step to attach it to the connector. In addition, the cover body can be lost in the process.